The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-03-03
Clodhopper's CogitatIons.
From the Spartanburg Spartan.

Clodhopper's CogitatIOns.
From the Spartanburg Spartan.
In these days of push and progress, as
you newspaper men call them, I would
like to drop word of encouragement to
the unknown and unpraised young men
that are struggling to makeza living on
the farms. I think you editors are
somewhat to blame in this matter.
Everybody, who half way does his duty,
desires pat on the shoulder and "well
done" from somebody. 1t is very weak.
gourd headed sort. of man, or woman,
that is spoiled and pufed up by little
judicious praise now and then. Even
humble, modest, busy men are pleased to
be recognized by the crowd as it rushes
by. Of course, the Honorables and the
Colonels and the big farmers that run .
dozen or more pfows can get their names
in the papers, and SO can the dudes, who
do not know the difference between poke
weed and Crimson" but the humble one
horse farmers are seldom heard of. That
may be alright. Itmay be the best for
them 70 toll and wait in silence, for ! can
assure them, one and all, that if they are
true to their own calling and diligent in
their business, their worth will be recog
nized one of these days.
Now would ask these young men, who
are "gee. having" stubborn mules, or be.
ingjerked around by roots and rocks and
stumps while they are holding the plow,
to consider the boyhood and raising of
our successful men, over forty years of
age. Look at the doctors, even in our
towns, and the most business like and
successful were brought up in country
homes. The same remark will apply to
lawyers. The merchants who handle the
goods at spartanburg were used to hard
knocks in their boyhood. Many of them
did hard farm,work.. ID the year 1927 the
leading lawyers, doctors, merchants and
bankers of Spartanburg and other towns
will come from the boys who are this
year working on the + farms. The Joe
Browns and John, Inman's who now are
called successful and wealthy men, plow.
ed barefooted and had their shins brushed
by roots flying back from the plow until
they were as blue as indigo. They had
their insteps scratched with saw-briers
and their toes cracked underneath and
suffered with the toe itch and all other
ills that the flesh of farmers boys is heir
to. Through such trials and hardsbips
the most successful men of this day have
passed and without such experiments
they would not have been the tough sort
of men they are now. Those who wear
soft clothing and sleep late in the morn
ing may be able to spend the money
made by others, and some Of them may
take good care of the weal:l left them by
parents, but in the main they are only
good for dress parade and holidays. Just
look how the late war leveled things.
The soft handed and finely dressed men,
who, before the war, thought it disgrace.
full to do manual labor, yielded to the
pressure and were not sble to take start
in the race of life when they had to de-
pend on their own exertions.
Then the word l wish to say to the
boys now grunting under the heavy
burdens imposed by farm WORK, do not
get discouraged. Endure all the toll
patiently. Go about your work cheer
fully and learn all you can from others.
When the professional ranks are thinned
or when the "dudes" fail in business, you
will be called from the plow to preside
over the business of the country. 1t is
singulr fact that the best business men ir
all our cities are drawn from the quie
country homes. Then supposed you
have to live on the farm all your days
In that thought there should be grea
consolation. The highest type of man
hood, in this republican country, is the
intelligent farmer, whose influence fol
good is felt even by the birds that sing il
his shade trees, and who, by thrift and
industry, teaches his generation how tt
labor and to wait. 1t is mistake tt
think that hard HANDS, brown cheeks
soiled clothes and heavy brogans arr
badges of disgrace. These are the pretty
sure signs that an honest, selfsupportinE
nobleman is encased in them. Their
boys, stick to the farm; work early ant
late; don't banker after yardsticks ant
fine clothes for which somebody else ha'
to pay. Save your dimes; lay up little
money of your own every year, keeE
away from drinking places and keeI
drunkards and gamblers away from you
Maintain your self-respect and the worlc
will respect and honor you.
= What is my opinion Of misfortune
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